Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) is hiring a Technical Director, which is a core part of the CPT staff and will make a meaningful contribution to life at CPT and its success. CPT will be accepting applications for this position through Friday, May 21.

Technical Director Job Description

CPT is hiring a Technical Director (TD). This role requires leadership and initiative, is part of a team-driven staff, and reports to the Associate Artistic Director/Director of Production. The Technical Director manages and implements all technical aspects of productions except costumes for CPT’s season of full productions (6-10); three new work developmental series; Pandemonium (a massive annual event); Station Hope (a one day social justice festival); as well as other artistic projects and productions. CPT programs in two theatres and embraces the opportunity to produce theatre in nontraditional spaces. For the 21/22 Season, the Technical Director will handle all builds, lighting, video, and sound installations with some support from over-hire technicians when needed. The Technical Director will be integral to rebuilding the production department in recruitment and hire one full-time technician that will report to the TD for the 22/23 season. The role is responsible for the oversight of CPT’s scene shop and technical equipment. The TD will have the opportunity to work as an artist at CPT and continue their own artistic growth. Candidates must have four years of full-time technical theatre work or equivalent as a freelancer and have excellent technical skills in at least three of the following areas: sound design/sound technician, lighting design/master electrician work, video design/implementation, scenic design, and set construction. The successful candidate will be collaborative, eager to learn new ways of working, service oriented, and highly self-motivated.

Salary range is $36k to $42k. Benefits include health insurance and paid time off. Anticipated start date is Tuesday, June 15.

CPT Staff Description

CPT cares passionately about reflecting our community and pursuing diversity at all levels of the organization. CPT has a demanding work environment with long, intense hours, but we have fun and love what we do. We value hard work, kindness, generosity, passion, and grace-under-pressure. A majority of plays produced at CPT are by BIPOC artists. In the past three years, CPT has undertaken work to accelerate and formalize its growth to becoming a fully anti-racist organization, and that work is undertaken by all staff members in a variety of ways. For applicants considering relocation to Cleveland: our city is an excellent community to live in with top-notch arts and culture, a vibrant theatre scene, beautiful public parks, a great lake, and VERY affordable housing

Overall Responsibilities

• Implementation of Technical Aspects for Productions
  • Create working drawings for set construction
  • Build and install sets for productions
  • Hang, patch, and focus light plot for productions and series
  • Install sound plot for productions and series
  • Install and focus projectors as needed for productions and series

• Manage Scene Shop and Technical Equipment
  • Maintain scene shop to meet CPT standards of safety, organization, and cleanliness
  • Maintain, repair, and purchase technical equipment as needed

• Manage Production Calendar and Budgets
  • Evaluate designs for budget, both financial budget and time/capacity budget
  • Create, build, and install schedule for all productions
  • Create over-hire schedule/need for all productions
  • Work with designers to ensure final designs are submitted in a timely manner

• Manage Over-Hire Technicians (1 full-time technician beginning on or before 7/1/22)
  • Recruit and retain skilled over-hire technicians for occasional, short-term work
  • Supervise skilled and unskilled short-term technicians
  • Train and respond to technician questions

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

SKILLS

• Excellent project management skills
  • The ability to assess, prioritize, and drive multiple productions at the same time
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to collaborate and be a team player
• Ability to manage small, short-term teams
• Excellent technical skills in at least three of the following areas:
  • Sound design/sound technician
  • Lighting design/master electrician
  • Scenic design/set construction
  • Video design/video implementation
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50lbs
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Excel
• Working knowledge of VectorWorks, QLab, and other industry standard programs

EXPERIENCE

• 4 years of full-time technical theatre work or equivalent as freelancer
• 3 years of experience in technical direction or equivalent
• Tracking and managing production budgets and expenses
• Some management experience
• A Bachelor’s degree is not required, but we are looking for someone with a strong theatre background and equivalent experience of such a degree

QUALITIES & PERSONALITY

• Attention to detail and accuracy while working on multiple projects and tasks
• Ability to work efficiently and calmly in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to re-prioritize tasks as they arise
• Collaborative, eager to learn new ways of working, service oriented, and highly self-motivated
• Inspired to learn from and with leadership and to support leadership’s ongoing growth and learning
• Highly organized and self-motivated
• Energetic, enthusiastic, and sees projects to completion

Review of candidates will begin immediately and will continue until position is filled. To apply for the position, send an email to Beth Wood, Associate Artistic Director/Director of Production, at careers@cptonline.org, by end of day, May 21. Subject line should read: [LAST NAME], Technical Director. The email should include two attachments: a resume, and a two-page cover letter describing your history, passion, why you are interested in this position, and what you have to offer. Candidates may be asked to provide additional materials after original application.
No phone calls, please.

CPT is a nationally recognized center for contemporary performance. Its mission is to raise consciousness and nurture compassion through groundbreaking theatre and life-changing education programs. CPT implements this mission through its annual theatrical season, featuring between eight to ten adventurous professional productions and a robust series of new play development programs that support writers and devisers at multiple points in the creative process. CPT’s acclaimed education programs engage communities in devising new works that speak to contemporary issues and empower participants to work for positive change in our community. CPT is home to resident community ensembles Teatro Público de Cleveland and Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi, and CPT annually presents Station Hope, a large-scale community arts festival. CPT’s annual budget is around $1.8 million a year. CPT has 16 full-time staff members.